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The 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy has been released. This involved a comprehensive assessment of the literature that examined 12 systematic reviews based on evidence from randomised controlled trials. It looked at exercise outcomes including pregnancy, labour and delivery complications, maternal mental health as well as foetal growth and development.

The previous guideline was from 2003 and was primarily based on expert opinion.

The Department of Health has recently released it’s final clarification on the rules governing it’s Private Health Insurance reforms. It was previously advised that Pilates-only sessions will no longer be funded as of April 1st 2019.

New Years has come and gone in the blink of an eye as it does every year. Resolutions have been made....and possibly broken by now too. In case you missed it, NQPC has a Pilates studio at our clinic in the Eastbrooke Health Hub, where we have qualified physios to assist in one on one and group Pilates. Groups are kept relatively small to ensure our patients receive the attention and feedback needed to get the most out of their Pilates session. We are also excited to mention that our Women's Health physio Roxanne will be running Mums and Bubs Pilates sessions on Tuesdays.

Muscle strains are the stretching or tearing of muscle fibres or its attaching tendon. They can happen in a variety of ways, however most often occur during sporting activities, particularly those that require sprinting and changes of direction. Muscle strains are generally graded based on their severity.

- Grade 1: minor injury with damage to less than 10% of the muscle fibres. You will often have close to full movement and strength, with only minor pain.

- Grade 2: more significant damage/tearing of the muscle fibres but not complete rupture.

Low back pain is incredibly common. Up to 90% of the population will have an episode of low back pain at some point in their lifetimes. For most, this will be an acute episode, with recovery occurring within 3 months (often much sooner).

The management of low back pain has changed considerably over the years. Previously, bedrest was often prescribed, which involved spending days at a time in bed recovering! With new knowledge and research, we now know this is one of the worst things we can do, as it will often make your pain worse and your recovery longer.

Remaining active is incredibly important for the management of low back pain.

Something we commonly get asked in the clinic is if a person should perform an isolated muscle exercise, or a multi-joint exercise. For example, if we wanted to strengthen our quadricep, the best ‘quad isolating’ exercise is a machine leg-extension, whereas a multi-joint exercise for quad strengthening could be squats, lunges, step-ups etc.

Isolated and multi-joint tasks are both useful in their own way, but it is important to realise that performing a weighted (or machine loaded) single-joint task like a knee extension will provide more targeted loading to the muscle, as well as the tendons (quad and patella). A squat, lunge or step-up will provide some quad strength, however if you have some

Shoulder and upper arm pain is one of the most common presentations we see as physiotherapists. This is because the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. If you have had a scan completed on your painful shoulder (such as an ultrasound or MRI) it may have shown a rotator cuff tear. While this can sound scary initially, it does not necessarily mean a trip to the surgeon.

Firstly, imaging findings such as rotator cuff tears are just as common in people with shoulder pain, as they are in people without shoulder pain. This is important because it means that pathology seen on scans may not be the cause of the problem.

Overtraining syndrome is a common cause of tiredness in sports people. The terms "overtraining", "overreaching", "overtraining syndrome", "burnout" and "staleness" have all been used in association with this condition (Brukner and Kahn 2013). Overtraining is excessive training in particular in high performance sports people without adequate rest.

In order to improve performance it is necessary to train hard. Training hard can actually make you weaker as muscle fibres are being torn or broken down in the process. It is rest or recovery that allows muscles to rebuild and physiologically improve. Maximal loading of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems results in improved

Do you wake up in the morning with a sore neck? Chances are your pillow may be doing you more harm than good.

Just like shoes there is not a universal pillow that will suit everyone's needs. A good pillow will support your head and keep your neck in a neutral position while ensuring comfort while you sleep. It is important to maintain a natural curvature in your neck; especially when you're sleeping.

When choosing a new pillow it is important to consider your preferred sleeping position. Are you a side sleeper or a back sleeper? If you sleep